All About Pocket Knives

Any thoughts on the currently available Dolphins Maniago branded autos?
Some are for sale here, some online.
But I can’t seem to find very much info about them related to reviews or general quality.
Searching the name here, doesn’t bring up anything. (?) Unless I’m searching incorrectly.
Anyone have info on this brand and current models?

Just type in "Maniago" in the block in the upper right corner where you can see "Search The AAPK Member Stores" and then click on the smaller block to the far right where is says "Search".

herbva wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 12:24 pm Just type in "Maniago" in the block in the upper right corner where you can see "Search The AAPK Member Stores" and then click on the smaller block to the far right where is says "Search".

Yeah. Did that. It brings up the items for sale in member stores. Which I have already seen. Which is why I did a forum search, looking for threads, and comments related to that brand.
Putting “Dolphins” in the individual forum search feature, brings up nothing about these knives. Surely, the “Switchblade Forum” should have a few threads on this brand, no? But this is what I get.
Searches for “Maniago” bring up posts where the town is discussed related to other brands, but nothing related to the “Dolphins” brand. Unless I’m missing something….
So no one in the “Switchblade Forum” has started a thread on these knives?
So what am I doing incorrectly?

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 3:18 pmSo what am I doing incorrectly?

nothing…… there’s been no forum posts on the brand to date

bestgear wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 3:42 pm

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 3:18 pmSo what am I doing incorrectly?

nothing…… there’s been no forum posts on the brand to date

Whew! Thanks. ThoughtI was losing my marbles there, for a second.
Ya know, an internet search using DDG, and Quant revealed precious little about this brand.
Just a few stray threads, in “Talkblades” forum about the business end… the “team” of folks building these…
But no real info on them, despite the sites that are listing them for sale.
So do any of our “Italian Switchblade” lovers have any of their modern production knives?
Anyone know about the general quality of available product?

For whatever it's worth, there's a guy over at Bladeforums who bought two, one made by Renzo Pascotto, the other by Frank Beltrame. Double Dolphin/Dolphins is not a manufacturer but a brand that has knives made by other known makers.

You have to be a logged-in member to read the switchblade forum at Bladeforums, so if you're not, I'll share the abbreviated reviews of both knives that the member posted-

1. He was not at all happy with the very expensive Renzo Pascotto. Here are some quotes- "lock fit is garbage", "a ton of lock rock", "the blade has side to side play", "Spring kick weak but adequate", "I can easily confuse this thing with something made in Pakistan".

He tried to contact the vendor for a refund, but never indicated how that went.

I should add that this individual appears to be a big Italian stiletto enthusiast, and has expressed not only a tolerance for some flaws in Italian stilettos, but an almost affection for them saying that the flaws give the knives "character". Apparently the Renzo Pascotto had a bit too much "character" for his liking.

2. The second Dolphins knife was a 13" made by Frank Beltrame. The guy was a lot happier with this one. Here are some quotes from his review- "side to side wiggle (blade play)", "typical dull low end steel blade", "Spring action somewhat anemic but with no failures to fire and adequate deployment speed".

He re-peened the pivot pin to tighten the blade.

His final words about the knife- "I love it".


So, take all that for what it's worth. Of course these are reviews of two knives by one guy, I do not suggest that they are representative of all Dolphins knives, and I have never handled any Dolphins knives so I have no first-hand experience with them.

Dolphins is attempting to provide Maniago knives that are different (usually) and better quality than average, with some semi-custom options.
Regardless, they are still Italian switchblades, which are a completely different animal than CNC machined, screwed together modern knives. Generally, they are very good products.

Killgar wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 7:14 pm For whatever it's worth, there's a guy over at Bladeforums who bought two, one made by Renzo Pascotto, the other by Frank Beltrame. Double Dolphin/Dolphins is not a manufacturer but a brand that has knives made by other known makers.

You have to be a logged-in member to read the switchblade forum at Bladeforums, so if you're not, I'll share the abbreviated reviews of both knives that the member posted-

1. He was not at all happy with the very expensive Renzo Pascotto. Here are some quotes- "lock fit is garbage", "a ton of lock rock", "the blade has side to side play", "Spring kick weak but adequate", "I can easily confuse this thing with something made in Pakistan".

He tried to contact the vendor for a refund, but never indicated how that went.

I should add that this individual appears to be a big Italian stiletto enthusiast, and has expressed not only a tolerance for some flaws in Italian stilettos, but an almost affection for them saying that the flaws give the knives "character". Apparently the Renzo Pascotto had a bit too much "character" for his liking.

2. The second Dolphins knife was a 13" made by Frank Beltrame. The guy was a lot happier with this one. Here are some quotes from his review- "side to side wiggle (blade play)", "typical dull low end steel blade", "Spring action somewhat anemic but with no failures to fire and adequate deployment speed".

He re-peened the pivot pin to tighten the blade.

His final words about the knife- "I love it".


So, take all that for what it's worth. Of course these are reviews of two knives by one guy, I do not suggest that they are representative of all Dolphins knives, and I have never handled any Dolphins knives so I have no first-hand experience with them.

Thank you for the research, and passing the info my way. I’m still new here, but I’ve found AAPK members can always be counted on to step up and help when they can. And between you, Mr.Deshivs, and more than a few others— there is a wealth of expert info and willingness to share it. I dig this place!
What I was able to find is that the “DM, 2 Dolphins” stamp was/is, a consortium of three so-called “major players” in Italian trad knife manufacture. (I don’t know enough about the industry to know if the names are prominent or not, but by other’s comments, I assume so…)
One is the finacier.
One selects the “finest of materials” (with emphasis on the “finest quality horn.(?)”
And the last being Armando Beltrame, ( and “other well known artisans) who, I guess, make the knives.
So the story goes, that “The finest knives are then selected, and get the DM, Two Dolphins stamp.”

Sounds Ok. Right?
But there is some controversy among the several posters that I was able to find on a coupla other forums.
The issue being that some felt that this “consortium” was merely going through A. Beltrames’s regular production knives, cherry-picking the best examples of them, and marking them with their stamp. Which raised the ire of some enthusiasts because they felt that folks who opted for a standard production A. Beltrame knife were getting stuck with the lower-quality, Beltrame knives.
In other words—they thought they were buying “first quality” A.Bs, but instead, were getting the “leftovers” after Dolphins picked out the best.
Now I don’t know if any of this is true. And I’m not an expert- especially on the many nuances of Italian knife manufacture.
To further the controversy, there were comments related to the asking prices for the DM stamped products, and the quality of said knives. (Very expensive, and quality that was cosi’ cosi’.)

Please bear in mind that I am knew to automatics, and the history and current state of the Italian knife biz, and everything I listed here was taken from the very limited info I could find during a relatively short research effort.

The reason for my recent inquiry, is that we have sellers offering these knives here, and at a coupla other retailers that I have used for other knives in the past.
The knives look great, are talked up by the sellers, and I understand, perhaps mistakenly, that the 2 Dolphins stamp has a history of making desirable knives.
And I found some nice looking examples in a smaller size that I like—because I always carry my knives, and toting around an 11”er, or even a 9”, can be cumbersome… and was doing my research before I bought one.

So logic dictates I would ask about them here first , ‘cause I figure yinz would definitely be the prime source for Italian Switch knowledge.

So that’s all I got. Thanks for your help, and sorry for the long post—but I wanted to touch all bases.

Some real nice looking examples for sale here on AAPK—but as we all know with Italian autos, sight alone is not really enough, without relevant knowledge…

Maybe a late reader of these posts will show up with first hand experiences, that can clarify these issues, and give a review or two.
Thanks again!

Bill DeShivs wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 8:48 pm Dolphins is attempting to provide Maniago knives that are different (usually) and better quality than average, with some semi-custom options.
Regardless, they are still Italian switchblades, which are a completely different animal than CNC machined, screwed together modern knives. Generally, they are very good products.

Thanks for chiming in, Bill. I just caught your post, after I had written the long explanation that follows yours on the thread.
So the modern DM, 2 Dolphins are generally good quality products, at least equal to, if not better than, other current offerings from A.B., SKM, and other modern makers. Which is what I wanted to know.

On page 139 of "Comfort Knives" about 3/4 down the page, I did a full review of my recently acquired copy, as well as in "Mail Call" but with no description. I like the knife! Here they are again, just in case.
Your searches may have been futile because I typed it as a "D M' brand.

It's my understanding that Armando Beltrame retired years ago. There's a guy (Arthas) over at Talkblade who lives in Italy and knows Armando personally. He confirmed last year that Armando is retired.

My general advice when it comes to buying Italian switchblades has always been- Buy from a vendor who accepts returns and gives refunds. That way if you get a knife that is too flawed to live with, and you don't want to pay someone to fix it or try to fix it yourself, you can get a refund or maybe an exchange.

And your best chance of getting a refund or exchange is to buy from a vendor in the US. I've never seen or heard of anyone in the US getting a refund or exchange from Italy/Europe (knifeshop.com). I've seen people try, but the attempt typically goes one of two ways- 1. "I tried to contact XYZ but they never got back to me", 2. "They told me the knife isn't defective. They said the "imperfections" are normal on Italian knives made by hand the old-fashioned way. It's part of their charm".

Another related piece of advice- Take sellers descriptions on the secondary market with a BIG grain of salt. When in doubt, ask before you buy. A little while ago someone posted a stiletto switchblade for sale here at AAPK, they listed it as a "Vintage Italian", but anyone who knows stiletto switchblades could immediately recognize it an Asian (Chinese). The knife is now listed as "sold", the listed price is $150. So if it sold for the listed price, that means someone bought a Chinese stiletto for $150. Now it's none of my business what people want to pay to get the knife they want, but if the buyer thought they were paying $150 for a genuine vintage Italian stiletto, that's not what they got.

Madmarco wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 11:43 pm On page 139 of "Comfort Knives" about 3/4 down the page, I did a full review of my recently acquired copy, as well as in "Mail Call" but with no description. I like the knife! Here they are again, just in case.
Your searches may have been futile because I typed it as a "D M' brand.
8)WIN_20241203_16_48_17_Pro.jpgWIN_20241203_16_48_50_Pro.jpg

Thanks for joining the thread MM! (Knew you would… )
Good looking “shark” ya got there. You say it’s a DM brand clone? If so, still looks good.
Going to look up your posts with the reviews later today and read them through.
After doing a little more research, and hearing from Kilgar, and Mr. DeShivs, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on one of these 2Dolphins. (Yes! The addiction has taken hold of me!)
I found a retailer that was having a sale on a small one, a 7”er, dressed in knotty stag.
I wanted one in this size, because I don’t see them in that size very often, and as I said, ALL of my knives get carried—and this size works well in pocket.
I will post a “review” (of sorts), after I get it, and click it awhile…

Killgar wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 1:13 am It's my understanding that Armando Beltrame retired years ago. There's a guy (Arthas) over at Talkblade who lives in Italy and knows Armando personally. He confirmed last year that Armando is retired.


Good to know this info. Just to keep up with the situation. As Inoted in my post, there isn’t a lot of recent info on the forums Iwas skimming through.

My general advice when it comes to buying Italian switchblades has always been- Buy from a vendor who accepts returns and gives refunds. That way if you get a knife that is too flawed to live with, and you don't want to pay someone to fix it or try to fix it yourself, you can get a refund or maybe an exchange.

Good advice, for sure. And pretty much the way I operate. Don’t want to get caught without those options, and as always: caveat emptor.

And your best chance of getting a refund or exchange is to buy from a vendor in the US. I've never seen or heard of anyone in the US getting a refund or exchange from Italy/Europe (knifeshop.com). I've seen people try, but the attempt typically goes one of two ways- 1. "I tried to contact XYZ but they never got back to me", 2. "They told me the knife isn't defective. They said the "imperfections" are normal on Italian knives made by hand the old-fashioned way. It's part of their charm".

So “knifeshop.com isn’t a reliable retailer? Also good info to know, as it’s tempting to try one of their offerings—right now, they seem to be heavily stocking new product, that can’t be found by US retailers…

Another related piece of advice- Take sellers descriptions on the secondary market with a BIG grain of salt. When in doubt, ask before you buy. A little while ago someone posted a stiletto switchblade for sale here at AAPK, they listed it as a "Vintage Italian", but anyone who knows stiletto switchblades could immediately recognize it an Asian (Chinese). The knife is now listed as "sold", the listed price is $150. So if it sold for the listed price, that means someone bought a Chinese stiletto for $150. Now it's none of my business what people want to pay to get the knife they want, but if the buyer thought they were paying $150 for a genuine vintage Italian stiletto, that's not what they got.

Funny you should mention this. I was noticing the same thing. Clearly “AKC” Asian production, but not clearly described as such…. And another seller with a lot of current Switches which seem to be marked up above retail. Which I thought was a bit unusual for knives that are currently available for much less elsewhere.

As for the first seller, what is AAPK’s selling policy related to accurate descriptions?

And for the second point, far be it from me to say how anyone prices their product, “caveat emptor” again, but it’s curious to me. Do that many customers, on a hobby specific site, where knowledge of values is readily available—really not do research and overspend on commonly available knives to the point where it’s profitable for the seller?

As always, thanks for sharing all this info. Learning more and more, every day…

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 6:06 pm

So “knifeshop.com isn’t a reliable retailer? Also good info to know, as it’s tempting to try one of their offerings—right now, they seem to be heavily stocking new product, that can’t be found by US retailers…

From everything I've seen (other peoples reported experience), knifeshop.com IS reliable in that they will send you what you pay for. I've seen a lot of people in the US order knives from knifeshop.com, but I can't recall any ever complaining that they didn't get what they ordered (although some did complain about the quality of what they received). But when it comes to returns/refunds/exchanges, the Italian makers have been notoriously uncooperative, including knifeshop.com, which is owned and operated by the Campolin family.

But I base that on experiences posted online by others, and not from personal experience. If anyone in the US has ever successfully received a refund or exchange from knifeshop.com or any other maker in Italy, I'd be very interested to read about it, and I would be sure to include that in any statements I make about that vendor/maker in the future.

Also, it's not my intent to cast aspersions against any Italian makers or knifeshop.com. Again, I'm only relating the experiences of several other people who unsuccessfully tried to get a refund or exchange. There could be a variety of reasons why the Italians wouldn't provide refunds or exchanges to people in the US, one of them might be the distance and the shipping costs involved, but I don't know.

Knifeshop.com does have a return policy page on their website, with a US address for US buyers to ship their knives to for return. It's always possible that they have improved their return practices. But as a general piece of advice, I'd say that if you order a knife from overseas, be prepared for the possibility that you won't be able to return it.

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 6:06 pmAs for the first seller, what is AAPK’s selling policy related to accurate descriptions?

Seller policies can be found here: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/ca ... g-policies

I would start a dialogue with the store owner about what you believe to be an inaccurate description. Most store owners want to maintain high credentials and will respond accordingly.

If you still feel like the situation needs to be escalated, PM BRYAN and he as the site owner can address the matter.

Arthas (Michele Beltrame) is Armando's nephew. Armando is Frank's brother. SKM was Michele's business selling knives. Not sure SKM is still an ongoing business.

Any "AKC World" knife is made in China. Whether sold by AKC or otherwise.

Many years ago, the US musical instrument makers sales were decimated by copies made in Japan. The copies were often as good as, or better than, the American products. Stopping clone production in an Asian country is extremely difficult. Hence-the American makers contracted for Japanese production under the US brand name. The same thing is going on with knives. The Chinese and Taiwanese are building pretty good stuff. If you can't beat them, join them.

Killgar wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 6:57 pm

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 6:06 pm

So “knifeshop.com isn’t a reliable retailer? Also good info to know, as it’s tempting to try one of their offerings—right now, they seem to be heavily stocking new product, that can’t be found by US retailers…

From everything I've seen (other peoples reported experience), knifeshop.com IS reliable in that they will send you what you pay for. I've seen a lot of people in the US order knives from knifeshop.com, but I can't recall any ever complaining that they didn't get what they ordered (although some did complain about the quality of what they received). But when it comes to returns/refunds/exchanges, the Italian makers have been notoriously uncooperative, including knifeshop.com, which is owned and operated by the Campolin family.

But I base that on experiences posted online by others, and not from personal experience. If anyone in the US has ever successfully received a refund or exchange from knifeshop.com or any other maker in Italy, I'd be very interested to read about it, and I would be sure to include that in any statements I make about that vendor/maker in the future.

Also, it's not my intent to cast aspersions against any Italian makers or knifeshop.com. Again, I'm only relating the experiences of several other people who unsuccessfully tried to get a refund or exchange. There could be a variety of reasons why the Italians wouldn't provide refunds or exchanges to people in the US, one of them might be the distance and the shipping costs involved, but I don't know.

Knifeshop.com does have a return policy page on their website, with a US address for US buyers to ship their knives to for return. It's always possible that they have improved their return practices. But as a general piece of advice, I'd say that if you order a knife from overseas, be prepared for the possibility that you won't be able to return it.

Great information, KG, and I have something to add as per your request. A fellow AAPK brother made a purchase from Knifeshop.com , it was one of their $78. ACK Extreme F-14 OTF's, and it was a dud, lazy firing, poor F+F, etc. He immediately tried to return it and they accepted, but it was sent I believe to Florida for processing, not back overseas. So this would add credence to what you've been told/heard.
Nice talkin' with you, buddy, I hope all is well with you!

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 5:41 pm

Madmarco wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 11:43 pm On page 139 of "Comfort Knives" about 3/4 down the page, I did a full review of my recently acquired copy, as well as in "Mail Call" but with no description. I like the knife! Here they are again, just in case.
Your searches may have been futile because I typed it as a "D M' brand.
8)WIN_20241203_16_48_17_Pro.jpgWIN_20241203_16_48_50_Pro.jpg

Thanks for joining the thread MM! (Knew you would… )
Good looking “shark” ya got there. You say it’s a DM brand clone? If so, still looks good.
Going to look up your posts with the reviews later today and read them through.
After doing a little more research, and hearing from Kilgar, and Mr. DeShivs, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on one of these 2Dolphins. (Yes! The addiction has taken hold of me!)
I found a retailer that was having a sale on a small one, a 7”er, dressed in knotty stag.
I wanted one in this size, because I don’t see them in that size very often, and as I said, ALL of my knives get carried—and this size works well in pocket.
I will post a “review” (of sorts), after I get it, and click it awhile…

I need to straighten out something with you, Luke, don't worry it won't hurt!
I never said my D M brand knife is a clone, to the best of my knowledge it is a genuine Dolphin Maniago auto made in Italy, and have no reason to think otherwise. It's also stamped with 2 leaping Dolphins over D M . Just wanted to be clear about this!
Looking forward to viewing your new D M !

Madmarco wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:00 pm
Great information, KG, and I have something to add as per your request. A fellow AAPK brother made a purchase from Knifeshop.com , it was one of their $78. ACK Extreme F-14 OTF's, and it was a dud, lazy firing, poor F+F, etc. He immediately tried to return it and they accepted, but it was sent I believe to Florida for processing, not back overseas. So this would add credence to what you've been told/heard.
Nice talkin' with you, buddy, I hope all is well with you!

Hey there MM

I did some looking around AAPK, I didn't find the topic you mentioned, but I found this one- viewtopic.php?t=80049

The thread is short and self-explanatory- a guy ordered a stiletto from Knifeshop.com, it was seriously defective, he contacted Knifeshop, he was told "their knives are handmade and that's their standard quality", but they agreed to a refund.

They also suggested that he no longer order knives from them.

Unfortunately there are no further details, like what the return/refund process was like, or if he did in fact receive the refund.

The buyer did not seem happy with the overall experience.

Madmarco wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:20 pm

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 5:41 pm

Madmarco wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 11:43 pm On page 139 of "Comfort Knives" about 3/4 down the page, I did a full review of my recently acquired copy, as well as in "Mail Call" but with no description. I like the knife! Here they are again, just in case.
Your searches may have been futile because I typed it as a "D M' brand.
8)WIN_20241203_16_48_17_Pro.jpgWIN_20241203_16_48_50_Pro.jpg

Thanks for joining the thread MM! (Knew you would… )
Good looking “shark” ya got there. You say it’s a DM brand clone? If so, still looks good.
Going to look up your posts with the reviews later today and read them through.
After doing a little more research, and hearing from Kilgar, and Mr. DeShivs, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on one of these 2Dolphins. (Yes! The addiction has taken hold of me!)
I found a retailer that was having a sale on a small one, a 7”er, dressed in knotty stag.
I wanted one in this size, because I don’t see them in that size very often, and as I said, ALL of my knives get carried—and this size works well in pocket.
I will post a “review” (of sorts), after I get it, and click it awhile…

I need to straighten out something with you, Luke, don't worry it won't hurt!
I never said my D M brand knife is a clone, to the best of my knowledge it is a genuine Dolphin Maniago auto made in Italy, and have no reason to think otherwise. It's also stamped with 2 leaping Dolphins over D M . Just wanted to be clear about this!
Looking forward to viewing your new D M !

My apologies, kind Sir! I clearly read your last post incorrectly.
So it’s no wonder, I’m sitting here, at my bench, thinking, “clone? Well I’ll be damn, that is a pretty good looking match!” And here it were a gen-u-wine DM Shark the whole time.
Yeah, man. My mistake. Sorry.

Killgar wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 7:07 am

Madmarco wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:00 pm
Great information, KG, and I have something to add as per your request. A fellow AAPK brother made a purchase from Knifeshop.com , it was one of their $78. ACK Extreme F-14 OTF's, and it was a dud, lazy firing, poor F+F, etc. He immediately tried to return it and they accepted, but it was sent I believe to Florida for processing, not back overseas. So this would add credence to what you've been told/heard.
Nice talkin' with you, buddy, I hope all is well with you!

Hey there MM

I did some looking around AAPK, I didn't find the topic you mentioned, but I found this one- viewtopic.php?t=80049

The thread is short and self-explanatory- a guy ordered a stiletto from Knifeshop.com, it was seriously defective, he contacted Knifeshop, he was told "their knives are handmade and that's their standard quality", but they agreed to a refund.

They also suggested that he no longer order knives from them.

Unfortunately there are no further details, like what the return/refund process was like, or if he did in fact receive the refund.

The buyer did not seem happy with the overall experience.

Taking in all of your good points KG.
Seems the problem is a shoddy customer service outlook from the company.
In my mind, any company that won’t accept a return, or issue a refund, barring a previously stated policy like: “ Being sold ‘as is’ and ‘Final Sale-No Returns’,” qualifies as an “unreliable retailer.”
Maybe I’m old fashioned, but won’t even do biz with online businesses that don’t have a way to contact a human.
Nor will I use, modern, third person pay “apps.” After an ID theft nightmare that CLEARLY started from INSIDE PayPal.
So, all good things to know.

bestgear wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 7:26 pm

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 6:06 pmAs for the first seller, what is AAPK’s selling policy related to accurate descriptions?

Seller policies can be found here: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/ca ... g-policies

I would start a dialogue with the store owner about what you believe to be an inaccurate description. Most store owners want to maintain high credentials and will respond accordingly.

If you still feel like the situation needs to be escalated, PM BRYAN and he as the site owner can address the matter.

Thanks for joining with the link, Tom. Will definitely read that through.
Apart from noticing the same, single seller that Killgar had noted in his post, I’ve not noticed many shenanigans from AAPK sellers.
And opening a “positive dialogue,” in good faith, is always the best, first course of action.
I’ll be sure to contact you if I see anything that needs attention.
Thanks again for jumping in here!

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 3:19 pm
Taking in all of your good points KG.
Seems the problem is a shoddy customer service outlook from the company.
In my mind, any company that won’t accept a return, or issue a refund, barring a previously stated policy like: “ Being sold ‘as is’ and ‘Final Sale-No Returns’,” qualifies as an “unreliable retailer.”
Maybe I’m old fashioned, but won’t even do biz with online businesses that don’t have a way to contact a human.
Nor will I use, modern, third person pay “apps.” After an ID theft nightmare that CLEARLY started from INSIDE PayPal.
So, all good things to know.

That makes perfect sense to me and is a totally reasonable position. I also place a high value on good customer service and the ability to contact the seller/maker of something I buy online. On a low-cost knife I wouldn't care so much, but the more expensive an item is the more I care about how the seller will respond if there's a problem, and my ability to get a refund. If I can't get a refund, I don't buy.

Killgar wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 7:07 am

Madmarco wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:00 pm
Great information, KG, and I have something to add as per your request. A fellow AAPK brother made a purchase from Knifeshop.com , it was one of their $78. ACK Extreme F-14 OTF's, and it was a dud, lazy firing, poor F+F, etc. He immediately tried to return it and they accepted, but it was sent I believe to Florida for processing, not back overseas. So this would add credence to what you've been told/heard.
Nice talkin' with you, buddy, I hope all is well with you!

Hey there MM

I did some looking around AAPK, I didn't find the topic you mentioned, but I found this one- viewtopic.php?t=80049

The thread is short and self-explanatory- a guy ordered a stiletto from Knifeshop.com, it was seriously defective, he contacted Knifeshop, he was told "their knives are handmade and that's their standard quality", but they agreed to a refund.

They also suggested that he no longer order knives from them.

Unfortunately there are no further details, like what the return/refund process was like, or if he did in fact receive the refund.

The buyer did not seem happy with the overall experience.

Hey buddy!

There's a bit of confusion here; In my post above with the pictures of my new D M knife, I state that the story is on page 139 of the "Comfort Knives" thread, but in my post about an AAPK member having a problem with an F-14 OTF, that was just an example I was aware of but it wasn't from a post, so that's likely why you didn't find anything, sorry 'bout that. BTW, my buddy with the faulty F-14 did receive a full refund in reasonable time, but he too was unhappy he had to get one in the first place!

I had previously read the post that you linked, and I was just as angry when I read it just now as I was when I first read it! It would seem ole' Angie is getting pretty salty in his old age, I guess he's thinking he has enough money and can sell shoddy products with no return options, as well as discontinuing shipping to Canada, and likely other restricted countries. Although, I think he is justified when it comes to Canada with our stupid laws. It certainly must be a problem for Angelo, because nobody and I mean NOBODY asks a customer to not shop in their store anymore, yikes!
I hope this clears things up a little, my friend!

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 2:59 pm

Madmarco wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:20 pm

Good Old Luke wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 5:41 pm

Thanks for joining the thread MM! (Knew you would… )
Good looking “shark” ya got there. You say it’s a DM brand clone? If so, still looks good.
Going to look up your posts with the reviews later today and read them through.
After doing a little more research, and hearing from Kilgar, and Mr. DeShivs, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on one of these 2Dolphins. (Yes! The addiction has taken hold of me!)
I found a retailer that was having a sale on a small one, a 7”er, dressed in knotty stag.
I wanted one in this size, because I don’t see them in that size very often, and as I said, ALL of my knives get carried—and this size works well in pocket.
I will post a “review” (of sorts), after I get it, and click it awhile…

I need to straighten out something with you, Luke, don't worry it won't hurt!
I never said my D M brand knife is a clone, to the best of my knowledge it is a genuine Dolphin Maniago auto made in Italy, and have no reason to think otherwise. It's also stamped with 2 leaping Dolphins over D M . Just wanted to be clear about this!
Looking forward to viewing your new D M !

My apologies, kind Sir! I clearly read your last post incorrectly.
So it’s no wonder, I’m sitting here, at my bench, thinking, “clone? Well I’ll be damn, that is a pretty good looking match!” And here it were a gen-u-wine DM Shark the whole time.
Yeah, man. My mistake. Sorry.

Not a problem, dude! Where do you get "Shark", the model name perhaps, but where did you see it described as the "Shark"?